Throughout the course of military
history, generals always have relied on the
faithful obedience and service of their troops. The
fulfillment of one's duty is the prime directive of
every disciplined soldier, and executing orders
under fire is crucial in achieving victory on the
battlefield. Members of the armed forces are often
called upon to follow their commanders blindly into
desperate and dangerous situations without
question--and without hesitation. Thus is the
nature of man in war.

Another loyal servant to the high
command, whose contributions are overlooked, is the
horse. Completely unaware of the politics, protocol
and hypocrisy of war, this animal is more than just
a mount. It is a faithful friend and follower who
carries its commander into battle with the same
bravery and patriotism as the humans around
it.

Many of the generals whom we study
today enjoyed the companionship of one of these
steeds. And in many cases, the horse's name has
become almost as famous as its owner's. This was
especially true during the Civil War. In the
Confederate army, Robert E. Lee's horse Traveller
quickly became a Southern icon. In the Union army,
it was Philip Sheridan's mount Winchester who
captured the hearts and minds of the North.

Another horse that ultimately
became as beloved as its rider was Thomas
"Stonewall" Jackson's mount, Little Sorrel. No
other horse, it seems, has been honored with such
grace and dignity as this undersized steed. Like
his commander, the story of Little Sorrel is one of
both triumph and tragedy.

In
1861, Col. Thomas J. Jackson was deployed to the
most northern point of the Confederate states, at
Harper's Ferry. His orders were to take command of
troops from the Valley District who were stationed
there and secure the U.S. armory and arsenal.
During this time, Jackson focused on training his
army, as well as the logistics required to supply
and maintain it. Acquiring the horses essential for
mobilization required his immediate attention.

Luckily, a few days after his
arrival, an eastbound train full of livestock was
seized. On board was a herd of domestic horses that
was instantly recruited into the Confederacy.
Obviously spooked and weary from their journey, the
horses were led out of their railroad cars and
taken to the nearby river for water. Jackson,
without a mount at the time, approached the animals
and selected two candidates with the help of Maj.
John Harmon. One was a large, muscular stallion;
the other was a smaller and rounder Morgan. At
first, Jackson planned to present the little Morgan
as a gift to his wife. But he grew frustrated with
the larger animal, which proved to be difficult and
ornery.

Within a day, the colonel had made
his decision, as the bigger and more powerful horse
remained skittish, while the smaller sorrel had an
easy gait and a pleasant temperament.
Appropriately, Jackson named the horse "Little
Sorrel"--creating one of the Civil War's most
recognizable duos.

LEFT: 'Stonewall Jackson on Little
Sorrel,' a painting by Civil War artist
Mort Kunstler, depicts the general riding
what became the Confederacy's second
most-famous horse (after Gen. Robert E.
Lee's mount, Traveller). With his
remarkable endurance, Little Sorrel
quickly became Jackson's favorite. The
commander was riding the 15-hand mount
when he was mortally wounded at the Battle
of Chancellorsville.

Illustration courtesy of Mort Kunstler

Jackson's most famous attribute was
his unflinching bravery, which won him the nickname
of "Stonewall" at the Battle of Manassas (aka First
Bull Run.) A devout Presbyterian, Jackson believed
that the time of his death had already been
determined, thus no space on the battlefield was
any safer than the next. He said, "My religious
belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in
bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not
concern myself about that, but to always be ready,
no matter when it may overtake me."

His
unwavering faith and dedication to God and country
inspired his troops (later christened the
"Stonewall Brigade") to charge with reckless
abandon into victory over the most dire of
circumstances. It is often forgotten, but important
to remember, that every time Jackson entered the
battlefield, he was atop his faithful horse.

For
every musket ball and exploding shell that Jackson
faced, his mount also stayed the course. Little
Sorrel's service record, even for a horse, was
extraordinary. Some of his milestones included the
Battle of Manassas, the Seven Days Battle, the
Battle of Fredericksburg and the tragic Battle of
Chancellorsville. As a testament to the animal's
strength of will, Henry Kyd, Jackson's staff
officer, once remarked that he never observed a
sign of fatigue in Little Sorrel.

Throughout the war, Jackson's
horse, like his men, remained cool under fire. His
troops' loyalty to their commander was second to
none, and his bravery became infectious throughout
the ranks. Due to a successful defensive campaign
on Southern soil, the Confederacy seemed well on
its way to acquiring accepted independence.

All
that changed after the sudden and accidental death
of the man they called "Stonewall."

On
May 2, 1863, during the Battle of Chancellorsville,
Jackson's own men accidentally fired upon him. He
suffered three wounds and had to have an arm
amputated. Initially, Jackson looked to make a full
recovery, but he later developed an incurable case
of pneumonia. In the end, he clearly accepted his
fate as part of God's divine plan and resolved to
spend his last hours, before delirium set in,
reading from the Bible.

Following the death of his master,
Little Sorrel became a symbol of Southern pride and
survived to a ripe, old age. Jackson's widow, Mary
Anna, cared for the horse until dwindling finances
forced her to send him to the Virginia Military
Institute, where the cadets looked after their
ex-instructor's mount until he relocated once again
to the Confederate veterans' home in
Richmond.

He
toured as an attraction at country fairs and
attended many reunions for Civil War veterans. It
has also been written that Southern ladies would
sometimes clip hairs from his mane and tail to make
wristlets and rings. At the tender age of 33,
Little Sorrel was a bona fide celebrity sideshow.
In 1884, he was photographed with an 85-year-old
Confederate soldier named Napoleon Hull, who was
said to have been the oldest surviving veteran of
Jackson's army.

Unfortunately, like "Stonewall,"
the retired horse would also suffer a tragic demise
at the hands of "his own men."

After the horse's deteriorating
health became crippling, Confederate veterans
rigged a makeshift sling to hoist him to his feet
whenever visitors arrived. One day, the sling
accidentally slipped off and the poor horse fell to
the floor, breaking his back. Death came shortly
thereafter.

After the passing of Little Sorrel
in 1886, CSA veterans had his hide mounted and
preserved, where it remains on display in the VMI
Museum. He is one of only two horses ever to be
preserved from the Civil War. The other is
Sheridan's Winchester.

On
July 20, 1997, 111 years later, the animal's
skeleton was finally cremated and his ashes were
scattered beneath the famous bronze statue of his
master at the entrance to VMI. The reburial and
ceremony were due to the efforts of the Virginia
Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
and echoed the pageantry of days gone by.

Complete with mounted cavalry and
infantry, a fife and drum corps, a bagpiper, and
ladies in period dress, Little Sorrel's bones were
escorted to his grave in a special 18-inch-tall
walnut casket created for the event.

As
Jackson would have wanted, the invocation, blessing
and benediction were offered by the Rev. William
Klein, pastor of Lexington Presbyterian Church,
where Jackson and his wife, Mary Anna Morrison, had
worshipped. Other prominent speakers included Dr.
James I. Robertson, author of the recently
published definitive biography of Little Sorrel's
master, and Col. Keith Gibson, director of the
school's museum.

To
this day, Little Sorrel remains a symbol of bravery
and service, not only to the cadets at VMI, but to
all who pay tribute to the men who fought in
battle--and the animals that carried them
there.

MICHAEL AUBRECHT of Spotsylvania
County is the author of "Onward Christian Soldier:
The Spiritual Journey of Stonewall" and "Christian
Cavalier: The Spiritual Legacy of J.E.B.
Stuart."